Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) officially unveiled the House health care reform bill that is headed to the House floor. The ceremony, held on the West steps of the Capitol, marks the greatest progress toward the Democratic Party's top domestic priority goal in more than half a century.
The bill, the Affordable Health Care for America Act -- H.R. 3962 -- includes a public health insurance option that would be required to negotiate with providers -- the top choice of centrist and conservative Democrats.
Coming in at just under $900 billion over ten years, the plan would cover 36 million uninsured Americans.
House Democrats have posted the bill online. A summary can be read here and the full version ishere.
The Congressional Progressive Caucus had pushed hard for a "robust" public option that would have reimbursed providers using Medicare rates. Blue Dog Democrats beat back that effort, costing taxpayers $85 billion over ten years -- money that will go to hospitals, doctors and drug makers, increasing the cost of health care.
The bill also prevents insurers from discriminating against people with preexisting conditions, caps the financial responsibility that insured individuals will face when medical emergencies strike, bans insurers for dropping folks because they get sick, and proposes a host of other insurance industry reforms.
Meanwhile, congressional Republicans are hoping that the historic push will give them an advantage in the 2010 midterm elections. "The lasting image coming out of today's press conference is one of dozens of House Democrats standing proudly behind an incredibly unpopular Nancy Pelosi as she prepares to lead them off a political cliff," said Ken Spain, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee.
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